Not sure if I hit a parked car. Do I take the blame?

Question

I dropped my kids off at daycare and as I was leaving the woman who parked next to me in the driveway asked if she should move her car. We looked and there was enough space so I said don't worry about it. Big mistake! I backed out slowly making sure my side mirror didn't come close to her car. I felt nothing touch and I drove off as normal. The woman called me 30 minutes later saying I hit her car and she had taken pictures. I immediately thought did I hit her car and not know it. Checked my car and absolutely no scratches or marks at all. WTF?

The woman has filed a police report and the cop said he could either investigate it or we resolve ourselves. Her car is bright red with 2 white scratch marks on the bumper behind her back tire. She wants to have the insurance companies take care of it. Should I cave in and say it must have been me even though my car has no marks, should I try and compromise and see if we can get her car buffed/painted in that spot, or get insurance to handle?

Answer 1

Call your insurance immediately, and report this POTENTIAL accident. Take your car to your insurance adjuster and let him/her confirm that there are NO SCRATCHES on your vehicle. It *could* have been someone else who took the space after you and scratched her car. You PAID for the insurance, so you USE it.

The police is not going to assign any blame, as they cannot confirm that you hit the other vehicle. This will be chalked up to "unknown". Cops have way more important things to do then come to check your bumper for scratch marks.

White scratch marks mean nothing. ANY scratch of the clearcoat creates white marks. The other car doesn't have to be "white".

Call your insurance and report this ALLEGED ACCIDENT, and let THEM deal with this unreasonable suspicious person. If it's not your fault, there's nothing to claim, and your insurance rate will NOT be affected. However, don't give insurance info to the other party. Just say "I'll have your insurance company contact yours. Give me YOUR insurance and claim number so I can forward it to my insurance."

You pay for insurance so you don't have to worry about **** like this. Use it.

Answer 2

NO!! If there are no scratches and you didn't feel any impact, then you don't owe her a dime. Let them investigate... they will look at your vehicle and see no indication of an impact, and you will not be liable. I could go kick my car door in and take pictures all day and blame the poor sap parked next to me, and it means nothing. There needs to be evidence that your vehicle caused that damage... and just because you were parked next to her doesn't mean you did it.

Don't take the blame for something you know you didn't do. Trust me, if you even so much as lightly scraped against another vehicle, you'd feel it!

And so long as you're white, the cops should work with you with no hassle.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'll let the cops investigate they will take paint samples of your vehicle and match it to hers. Now it's her word against yours but she called so automatically your guilty.

depending on cop bad part is if he's an A#@#le cop he'll cite you for hit and run if paint matches lots of time they over look that, then turn it over to insurance company. Don't plead guilty without just cause.

Answer 4

I agree, always let the police take care of it so you have some recourse. She may have had those marks there left from another car the same color as yours and could be setting you up.

Answer 5

NO THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR INSURANCE! dont even give her your insurance. let the police investigate.